The Tip O'Neil Chair Lecture

Yesterday we had a very unexpected, but lucky opportunity on campus. We received a public email to the student body at Magee Campus that there would be a VIP on campus Wednesday and we had to have our student IDs on us at all times and other security measures they were taking throughout the day. So word got out who our VIP was, former President Bill Clinton. How ironic is it that while we are in another country an American President comes to our campus?! So intrigued as we all were, we tried to find ways to see him. Andy and Josh tried to get tickets to hear his lecture but even the Registrar didn't know he was coming. I emailed Mervyn and he was in the process of getting us clearance to see him. As it ends up Mervyn has a lot of fortunate connections over here. He was able to get all ten of us students invitations/clearance to listen to President Clinton's lecture the very next day (Wed). So we changed our class time to right before the lecture and he instructed us to dress nicely.

Showing up Wednesday there was a lot of buzz about as everyone waited to see who the VIP was, (some people still didn't know) or catch a glimpse of Bill Clinton.  Here in Northern Ireland President Clinton is much more warmly welcomed than perhaps in parts of the States. For most of us however, it didn't matter our political preference, we were simply honored to have an opportunity to see/listen to someone of such great importance. Through the rush of the day and all the anticipation we arrived quite early to the Great Hall where President Clinton was to speak. It ended up that some of us were in the third, fourth and fifth rows from the front. 

We were surrounded by members of Stormont-NIrish parliament; the Mayor of Derry; US Consulate General; Nobel Peace Prize Recipient John Hume and his wife Pat, and many other important political figures.

President Clinton was here to speak for the Tip O'Neil Lecture. "The Tip O’Neill Chair was inaugurated by President Clinton on his first visit to Northern Ireland in 1995 and commemorates the former Speaker of the House of Representatives who was well known for his support for the cause of peace in Northern Ireland.  The Chair is based at the Magee campus in Londonderry. Nobel Laureate John Hume holds the Tip O’Neill Chair in Peace Studies, currently funded by The Ireland Funds.  The Chair is awarded to a ‘person of great distinction: a peacemaker, academic or statesperson of worldwide eminence’." http://www.ulster.ac.uk/ton/ 


President Clinton spoke on Economics, both Northern Irish Economics and the world economy. Again, I feel no matter you preference on politics any person of such importance, their views on the situations at hand are at least a great starting point for discussions of our own which is exactly what his goal was with his speech. He gave the NIrish people five main suggestions for growing their economy. 1. Continue and Expand with their focus on clean energy. 2. Increase Tourism-Bill specifically mentioned the 'beautiful golf courses' 3. Rise of aquaculture. 4. Jobs-financially direct, expanding market with the US due to the preexisting relationship. 5. City of Culture. Derry is bidding for the 2013 UK City of Culture and they are already in the process of setting up more interest in the city but President Clinton also expanded this idea to the surrounding areas of NI. This will also play off the tourism aspect. 


He also spoke on the need for young people (like ourselves) to take an interest in economics. He said, "Every person in the world who wants to shape their future and has access to a university schooling must be knowledgeable in our national and interdependent world economies." He also reflected many times through his speech of the difference in the air from the last time he was here. He said it was of much relief that he only had a few people on the street passing by saying hello instead of 30,000 going to him for help with the peace process right after the Troubles were ending. He said, 'This is what the pace is about, giving people a chance to live a normal life, working to earn money and raise a family.'


Anyway it was a great honor to get to listen to his lecture and this is definitely something I will remember for the rest of my life. He spoke a lot of truths I felt about our need to work for a living as well as the necessity of working together; realizing our commonalities rather than our differences. I do apologize but my computer will not upload the photos right now but I will try to get them up as soon as possible. 


Best wishes!